In my prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,826,222 there is disclosed a system for handling and dispensing prepackaged unit doses of medicine for a large number of patients, typically long-term nursing home patients. The system, successfully commercialized under the trademark ArtroPak, includes a dispensing box or container that is packed with unit dose medication. The box has printed on its exterior color coded sections to indicate various times and other conditions of administering the unit doses. A label, usually multi-part, printed with indicia relative to the patent is provided for superimposing on the color coded area of the container. By selectively punching the label before it is affixed to the container the color coded sections on the container are exposed when the label is affixed to the container. The exposed coded sections are readily visible to the person dispensing the medication and these color coded indicia signal to the person the time or conditions of administering the medication. Charting records are also provided to indicate the time and conditions of dispensing. The medication dispensing system of my '222 patent is one which is not reusable.
The prior art is replete with reusable medication dispensing containers which receive thermoformed blister packs. These devices suffer from one or more disadvantages: some are expensive to manufacture, others are complicated to use, others use multiple parts which may become lost in use, and many are cumbersome or difficult to use. Many do not make provision for quickly and easily changing medication prescription information.
Based upon these and other considerations it has been the principle objectives of this invention:
1. to provide a reusable medication dispensing container for receiving thermoformed blister packs which may be cheaply manufactured; PA0 2. to provide such a system which contains a top, bottom, and retaining frame molded from a one piece plastic where these elements are hingeably attached; PA0 3. to provide such a system which provides means to retain a prescription label within the top of the medication dispensing container in such a manner so that information is viewable through the top when the top is in its closed position; PA0 4. to provide such a container which is color coded for ease of dispensing medication in long term care nursing facilities; PA0 5. to provide such a container where the top stands vertically when opened so that the patient information recorded on the label on the inside of the top may be easily viewed by the nurse; and, PA0 6. to provide such a container which will fit within the palm of one's hand and which may be quickly and easily opened and closed.